A sleeve stitching machine is known from German Pat. No. 2,155,068 which has two drum-shaped goods supports movable relative to the sewing machine. These supports are provided with goods-holding clips, one of which can hold the partly stitched cuff and the other the sleeve. The two clips can be coupled to bring the sleeve into the open end of the cuff, whereupon both parts are clamped in a rotatable drum while the ends are stitched together. The drum of such a machine is not capable of compensating for different sizes of goods at all so that whenever goods size change it is necessary to change holders too.
It has also been suggested in German Pat. No. 2,948,498 to use two driven holding elements which are set up for receiving and holding tubular goods. Such an arrangement cannot, however, hold tubular goods such as trousers or skirts for mounting belt loops on them. The amount of loops that must be stitched on is normally the same, regardless of waist dimension, so that this arrangement cannot be set up to put the right number on regardless of this size.